Hatchet



June 9, 1936. S, TRb LL 2,043,907

' HATCHET Filed May 21, 1934 8. 'T'Wue INVQNTQQ Patented June 9, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HATCHET Application May 21, 1934, Serial No. 726,84

In S

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to a hatchet to be used for felling small trees in connection with clearing operations, for pruning purposes, for disbranching and unbarking felled timber, and for similar purposes. For work of this kind, hatchets provided with ordinary wedge-shaped hatchet-head have been found to be less suitable, partly because for a certain required length of cutting edge the hatchet head becomes unnecessarily big and. heavy, and partly because the wedge-shape causes increased frictional resistance against the hatchet head when the latter penetrates into the wood between the two cut surfaces. The frictional forces set up occur mainly in the surfaces of the portion of the hatchet connecting the cutting-edge and the rear part of the hatchet head, the so called hammer, which portion increases in thickness from the cutting edge to the hammer.

The above mentioned inconveniences are all avoided according to the present invention by providing a hatchet the head of which can be made arbitrarily heavy independently of the length of the cutting-edge and in which the wedge-shaped. portion between the cutting-edge and the hammer is entirely dispensed with, which is rendered possible substantially thereby that the hammer of the hatchet is designed as a substantiallly yoke-shaped frame having the mass required for the hatchet head, a knifeshaped hewing blade forming the cutting edge of the hatchet being secured between the arms of said yoke.

The invention will be described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawing, on which Figure 1 shows a side view of a hatchet according to the invention, and

Figure 2 shows a detail of the fixing means for the cutting member.

According to the embodiment shown on the drawing the hatchet consists of the frame I, the cutting member 2, and the handle 3. The frame I preferably consists of a resilient flat iron bent in U-shape, the arms 4, 5 of the frame being adapted to be sprung inwardly. The free ends of the arms are provided with slots 6 adapted to receive the cutting member 2. Said cutting member consists of a comparatively thin blade having a considerably greater length than width and formed with a cutting edge, said blade being provided at its ends with fixing members 1 consisting of transverse pins secured in the outer blade ends and adapted, when the blade is in weden June 15, 1933 position in the slot 6, to bear against the outer sides of the armsr4, 5 of the frame. The arms are provided with notches 8 for receiving the pins 1. 7

The distance between the pins 1 of the cutting 5 member is smaller than the distance between the notches 8 in the arms when the frame is in a nonsprung position. When the cutting member is inserted in the frame the arms must therefore be sprung towards each other in order that the pins shall be able to take up their positions in the notches 8. For the purpose of facilitating the insertion of the cutting member in the frame one of the arms, preferably the arm 4, is so shaped that its outer end tapers and forms a sliding surface 9 for the corresponding pin 1 whereby the springing of the frame is also facilitated. I

After the cutting member has been placed in position it is held in place on account of the resilience of the frame and is at the same time subjected to a suitable tension.

In ordinary hatchets it is a common occurrence that the outer ends of the cutting edge are destroyed on account of the hatchet during handling cutting into stone. This risk is reduced in a hatchet according to the present invention thereby that the free ends of the arms are so long as to project beyond the cutting edge In of the cutting member and thus to form a protection for the same.

For the purpose of lengthening the duration of life for each cutting member the cutting member is provided, in addition to the ordinary edge 7 ID, with anopposite edge 10a so that when one edge has become blunt the othermay be brought into operating position simply by turning the cutting member. For certain purposes it may be desirable to use instead of a straight cutting edge of any known type a convex edge. Also in some cases the cutting member. may if desired be made with one straight edge and one convex edge.

' On account of the comparative smallness of the cutting member and its mall Weight a suflicient 45 number of such members may on expeditions be brought along as spares to replace worn ones when necessary. This is an additional advantage in comparison with ordinary hatchets, the grinding of which in the field is often connected with difficulties.

Experience has shown that the efficiency of the hatchet is increased if the cutting member is not arranged parallelly with the handle. For this purpose the longitudinal axis of the cutting memher and of the handle form anangle with each other wherebythe cutting power of the hatchet is increased."

7 r The handle 3 is preferably made-of a suitable V kind of wood and is secured to the frame 'I by 1means of riveted-on or welded-on fixing means.

The cutting member is easily detached from spring powerof the frame can be easily removed therefrom. r a a The invention is not limitedto the embodiment; described above and shown on the drawing but,

can be modified in manyrespects without receding from the idea of the invention. Thus the arm 5 farthest from the'handle3 maybe'formed without a notch 8, whereby removal of the blade ,2'is facilitated, the upper pin being'brought on 25, i iresponding slot 8 and serves as a pivot for the.

, blade.- i

r 7 es 1 and provided at their ends with slotsadapted to V removal to slide along the outersurface of said arm 5 while the lower pin 1 remains in its cor- I claim;- c r r .f I 1. An axe comprisinga head and a handle, said head consisting of'a'resilient bail-shaped frame a having the naass-required for an axe head and a knife-shaped hewing bladeforming, a cutting a member and having fixing members at the'e nds thereof, the frame including diverging arms adapted to cooperate with said fixing members 7 receive the cutting member so that the cutting 'member is held in spaced relation to the medial portion of said bail-shaped'frame and in position slots, 7 r a o 2.; An axecomprising a head and a'handle, said" in the slots and bears against the bottom of said head consisting of a resilient bail-shapedmetallic frame having the mass required for ,an'axe head 1 and a knife-shaped hewing blade forming a cut- ,ting member, saidcutting memberincluding fixging members provided at the ends thereof, the

frame/including diverging arms provided at their endswith slots adapted to'receive the cutting member so that thecutting'member bears against the bottom of said'slots, whereby said fixing-mem bers cooperate with the outer. sidesurfacesof fs'ai'd diverging arms of the resilient frame, the

cutting memberbeing held in'position in spaced relation to the medial portionof said bail-shaped frame by'the resilience thereof; g

3. rAnaxe comprisinga head and'a handle, said head consisting of a resilient bail-shaped metallic frame having the mass required for an axe head "and a knife-shaped hewing blade: forming a cutting member, said cutting member including 'fixing members atthe ends thereof, the framein cluding: diverging arms provided at their ends with slots adapted to receive the cutting member so that the cutting member bears against the bottom of said slots, said diverging arms" being provided with notches on their'outer sidesurfaces adjacent the slots whereby said fixing'members cooperate with said notches and the cutting meme" her is held in position in spaced relation to the medial portion of said bail-shaped frame by the V resilience thereof. r V

4. An axe comprising a head and a handle, said head consisting of a resilient bail-shaped metallic frame having the mass required for an axe head, and a knife-shaped hewing blade form'- ing a cutting member, said cutting'member being reversible and provided with cutting, edges on bothsides and including fixing members at the ends thereof, the frame including diverging arms provided at their ends with slots adapted to receive the cutting member so that the'cutting.

member bears against the, bottom of'said slots wherebysaid fixing rmembers cooperate with the outer side surfaces of said divergingarms of the resilient frame, the cutting 'member being held in place with either cutting edge in operative .position by the resilience of the bail-shaped frame.

5. An axe comprising a head anda handle, said head consisting of a resilient bail-shaped metallic transversepins provided atthe ends thereof, the frame including diverging arms provided at their ends with slots adaptedpto receive the cutting member so that the cutting member bears against the bottom of-said slots whereby said transverse pins cooperate with the outer'side surfaces of said diverging arms of the resilient frame, the cutcutting member for the purpose of protecting the cutting edge there0f.' a

headconsisting of .a resilientbail shaped metallic frame having the mass required for an axe head, r

and a knife-shaped hewing blade forming a cutting member, said cutting member including slots adapted to receive the cuttin'gcme'mber so that'the cuttingimember bears against the bot tom of said slots, whereby said transverse pins cooperate with'the outer side surfaces of said diverging arms of theiresilient frame, the cutting memberbeing'held'in, position by the resilience of the bail-shaped frame, one of said diverging? arms being providedat its outer end with a'bev 'eled surface convergingtoward the outer end of" frame having the mass required for an axe, head and a knife-shaped hewing blade forming a cutting' member, "said cutting member including 7 ting member beingheld in position by the re,- silience of the bail-shaped frame and'the di'-- verging arms of the frame projecting beyond the transverse pins at the ends thereof, the framein- I eluding diverging arms provided at their ends with 1 the other arm of j-the' bail-shaped frame, over" which beveled surface thecorresponding trans-1 of the frame.

.verse pin of the cutting'member slides when the cutting memberis inserted in positioninthe slots 7. 'A hand axe comprising a handle anda head formed as a strip-like resilient bail-shaped member secured to the handle and including aninter mediate portion andspa'ced diverging arms, the

outer ends of which are slotted and a knifeshaped {cutting member having fixing members at the j ends thereof cooperatingwith said diverging arms inserted in the slotted ends of the diverging arms of said bail-shaped'member and held i'n'fixed position by the fixing members insuch a manner" thatthe cutting member is positioned'in spaced relation to the intermediate portion of said bail 7 shaped member. s w a V SIGVALD 'TROELL;

6. An axe comprising a head and ahandle,'said 

